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Re: Day 6 and milk hasn't came in

Ask your hubby what the poops look like, color and consistency. They should be transitioning from that black tar to quite liquidy and yellow. In between, they will look green, brown ,etc with varying consistencies. Any formula changes the way poops look (and smell.)

Obviously, feed the babies. If you have to supplement, do it. But make sure you REALLY have to. Pumping, supplementing, and around the clock nursing is way more exhausting than just around the clock nursing. 10% weight loss is scary but only slightly more than normal-most babies lose weight after birth, especially a birth with lots of interventions.

How much help do you have? You need more than just the other parent when it is twins. REAL help, live in if possible, who will support you and take care of you so you can do nothing else except heal your body and feed and snuggle your babies.

I had a c-section with my oldest who came at 37 weeks after a traumatic labor and my milk "came in" on day 6. So this is little late but can be normal. But remember this:
1) Colustrum (the first milk that comes right after birth) is super sonic food, is very, very scant, sort of a honey color and hard to see, (also hard to pump) and very very important for babies to have, and they get it my nursing a ton in the early days. (Nursing a ton also brings your abundant milk in more quickly). Colustrum IS milk. And how. Super sonic milk. Just not the abundant white looking kind. And babies do not gain and usually lose some weight in the early colustrum days. This is normal.
2) SOME moms have leaking, engorgement, giant inflatable breasts etc when milk becomes abundant. But many do NOT. If your babies are nursing efficiently and often, this will help prevent any engorgement, which is actually something you do not want to experience if you can help it.

Look at weight gain and output (poops) to be sure your babies are getting enough. Make sure all weight gain is measured from the lowest known weights, not birth weight. make sure weight checks are done accurately and on the same scale every time. Nurse lots and lots. You cannot nurse too often.

Book suggestions: Mothering Multiples and The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (8th edition)

Re: Day 6 and milk hasn't came in

My c-section recovery is going way too slow IMO! I'm in a ton of pain still after a week but it is getting better. I was hoping to be off the pain meds by now but no such luck. Im still really disappointed I had to have a c-section at all. It was a split second decision I had to make because one of the babies had low fluid and they needed to deliver that day and the other baby turned breech last minute. When they delivered them a few hours later though my breech baby had turned back head down!

Re: Day 6 and milk hasn't came in

I thought the advice was weird as well. Logic told me the more I nurse, the more milk I would make. I was in no place to argue though as Owen's weight had gone from 6.8 to 5.8 and Gwen's weight had gone from 5.10 to 4.12 by day 5 and tneither were having nearly enough dirty diapers.

It was a nurse practitioner I saw and not a pediatrician, not sure how experienced she was. I'm meeting with a lactation consultant today and picking up my breast pump, so I'm hoping to start progressing. I also started taking fenugreek supplements. I've noticed I'm hearing more swallowing sounds as they're nursing now and they're taking less formula after. I'm hoping that within a week a can stop supplementing. I hate formula...so messy and such a hassle.

Re: Day 6 and milk hasn't came in

Well, try to be a little more patient with yourself. You have had abdominal surgery! It will take some time to feel better. You are probably on a narcotic and some kind of super Motrin? When you are ready, consider getting off the narcotic painkiller at least, these are very mood altering. But adequate pain management comes first. This may be TMI but I like to mention it because your overall comfort is so important-What no one told me is how painful/difficult going to the bathroom would be for many days afterward, I had to insist on something a tad stronger than stool softeners. This is an issue I have heard over and over again from other moms post c-section.

See what your LC says, but if babies are gaining now, it is time to start weaning off the supplements imo. No need to wait to at least begin the process, if your milk is becoming more abundant as it almost certainly is by now. Hearing the swallowing is excellent!

Many moms (and lactation specialists) find supplementing prior to nursing and letting baby "finish at the breast" is a more breastfeeding supportive method of supplementing. Great your babies are taking less after nursing, but gaging how much supplemental feeding is needed by how much a baby will take after nursing is very misleading, as a baby at this age will want/need to suckle pretty much constantly and will suckle on whatever is offered and if it's a bottle, they will drink whatever is in the bottle as they cannot really help it.

Hang in there, I think you are doing great and your mama instincts are right on! Trust yourself and trust your babies.